Jails are generally for shorter-term incarceration than prisons. They are also run by different agencies...
Locate the state, then the city or county where you think they are being held.
Jails are where offenders are taken when they are first arrested. They are run by local law enforcement agencies or local government agencies. An inmate will remain housed in a jail prior to trial, conviction and sentencing. An inmate who is sentenced to less than one year usually does his or her time in a jail.
Prisons are for the long-term incarceration of convicted felons, typically for a period greater than one year. Prisons are run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) or by state government agencies
Begin your search for an inmate or arrestee, or locate any jail or prison here:
